• About
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Events
Friday, June 13, 2025
Newsletter
SUBSCRIBE
  • News
    • Open tenders and opportunities
    • Contracts and tenders awarded
  • Technical
    • Standards
  • Pump school
    • Ask an Expert
  • Sectors
    • LNG
    • Coal Seam Gas (CSG)
    • Building Services
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Valves
    • Reliability
    • Chemicals and plastics
    • Irrigation
    • Mining
    • Water & wastewater
  • Magazine
  • Capability Guide
No Results
View All Results
  • News
    • Open tenders and opportunities
    • Contracts and tenders awarded
  • Technical
    • Standards
  • Pump school
    • Ask an Expert
  • Sectors
    • LNG
    • Coal Seam Gas (CSG)
    • Building Services
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Valves
    • Reliability
    • Chemicals and plastics
    • Irrigation
    • Mining
    • Water & wastewater
  • Magazine
  • Capability Guide
No Results
View All Results
Home

City West Water wages war on ‘wet-wipe-bergs’

by Pumps Journalist
August 3, 2015
in News, Water & wastewater
Reading Time: 2 mins read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

City West Water is asking households in Melbourne’s west and inner city to think twice about what they put down their toilets, sinks and drains and keep wet wipes away from toilets.

The company spends more than $1 million a year clearing sewer blockages, which could be avoided if unsuitable items were kept out of the drains and sewers, and wet wipes are emerging as a growing cause of blockages.

City West Water Managing Director, Anne Barker, said sewer blockages are costly, smelly and inconvenient, but ultimately, the cost of clearing blockages is borne by all customers.

The reality is almost all sewer blockages are caused by items being flushed or washed down drains that shouldn’t be – nappies, cooking oil, fat, food scraps, personal products, and lately, an increasing number of wet wipes, Ms Barker said.

Despite manufacturer claims, wet wipes are not flushable, and they are starting to become a growing cause of blocked sewers, so keep them away from the toilet.

While all foreign objects cause problems for the sewer system, increasing numbers of wet wipes being flushed down toilets are forming clumps or ‘wet-wipe-bergs’ around the sewage pumps that move sewage around the metropolitan area for treatment. Unlike toilet paper, which breaks down in water, the fibres in wet wipes often remain intact and are more likely to cause blockages.

Ms Barker said that when you combine wet wipes with other foreign waste in the sewer, it creates a snowball effect that leads to costly blockages.

Wet wipes combine with other contaminants in the system such as petrol, diesel, engine oil, paint and household waste, and they can pose a health risk to workers who maintain the sewer network.

Putting the wrong things down the toilet, sink or drain also means the waste costs a lot more to treat and dispose of, and it can cause environmental harm.

City West Water is working with the Water Service Association of Australia to partner with wipe manufacturers to address the problem.

Find Related Companies In The Pump Industry Capability Guide


Flo-Max Pumps
Flo-Max Pumps
Flo-Max Pumps

Related Posts

Lower Plenty residents can now switch from septic tanks to piped sewerage, saving maintenance hassles and benefiting the environment, thanks to works completed by Yarra Valley Water.

Switching from septic to sewerage to benefit community

by Chris Edwards
June 13, 2025

Lower Plenty residents can now switch from septic tanks to piped sewerage, saving maintenance hassles and benefiting the environment, thanks...

The search for the next Mine of the Year is on – and it is as easy as submitting a nomination for 2025’s Australian Mining Prospect Awards.

Who Will Be Mine of the Year?

by Chris Edwards
June 13, 2025

Do you know a standout mining operation that deserves national recognition? The search for the next Mine of the Year...

MidCoast Council is taking a responsible approach to restoring a permanent water supply to the town of Wingham after recent floods.

Permanent water supply to be restored after flood

by Chris Edwards
June 12, 2025

MidCoast Council will spend $4.1 million to restore a permanent water supply to Wingham after the pipeline supplying the town...

Join our newsletter

View our privacy policy, collection notice and terms and conditions to understand how we use your personal information.
Pump Industry is Australia’s only dedicated pump magazine and is produced by Prime Creative Media in cooperation with Pump Industry Australia (PIA).

Subscribe to our newsletter

View our privacy policy, collection notice and terms and conditions to understand how we use your personal information.

About Pump Industry

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Magazine
  • Contact
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Collection Notice
  • Privacy Policy

Popular Topics

  • News
  • Spotlight
  • Pump school
  • Water & wastewater
  • Irrigation

© 2025 All Rights Reserved. All content published on this site is the property of Prime Creative Media. Unauthorised reproduction is prohibited

No Results
View All Results
NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE
  • News
    • Open tenders and opportunities
    • Contracts and tenders awarded
  • Technical
    • Standards
  • Pump school
    • Ask an Expert
  • Sectors
    • LNG
    • Coal Seam Gas (CSG)
    • Building Services
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Valves
    • Reliability
    • Chemicals and plastics
    • Irrigation
    • Mining
    • Water & wastewater
  • Magazine
  • Capability Guide
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Events

© 2025 All Rights Reserved. All content published on this site is the property of Prime Creative Media. Unauthorised reproduction is prohibited